Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic GH4

Here is a extensive assessment of the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic GH4, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and GH4 (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and GH4 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was revealed 4 years earlier than the GH4 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH4 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a short summary of how the XZ-1 matches up versus the GH4 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. The full galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Panasonic GH4 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with outer measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Panasonic GH4 has dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 84mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.3") along with a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic GH4 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is a front view size comparison of the XZ-1 vs the GH4.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and GH4 is 88 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at specifications. The visual below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and GH4.

Plainly, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Panasonic GH4 will resolve extra detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older XZ-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.